Yankees acquire closer Williams from Brewers

The New York Yankees are acquiring closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for left-hander Nestor Cortes, infield prospect Caleb Durbin and cash considerations, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

A two-time All-Star, Williams has established himself as one of the top relievers in baseball over the past five seasons behind an elite changeup known as the “Airbender.” He will slide into the back end of a Yankees bullpen that lost Clay Holmes to free agency and could also lose free agent Tommy Kahnle.

Since making his major league debut in 2019, Williams has a 1.83 ERA in 97 relief appearances with 68 saves. He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2020 after allowing one earned run in 22 games in the COVID-shortened season.

The right-hander missed the first four months of the 2024 season with a stress fracture in his back before returning in late July in his usual dominant form, posting a 1.25 ERA with 14 saves in 22 games.

But his season, and ultimately his Brewers career, ended on a low note when he surrendered four runs in two-thirds of an inning in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series against the New York Mets, including a go-ahead three-run home run to Pete Alonso in the ninth inning.